1905-1906.] 425 



of the Crinoidea, Ophiuroidea, and Asteroidea, with specimens 

 of each order, while living specimens were shown, and proved 

 of much interest to the members. 



A general discussion arose at the completion of the paper, 

 and was taken part m by various members. 



LECTURE ON "DENEHOLES AND SOUTERRAINS. 



On Wednesday evening, February 7th, at the Museum, 

 Mrs. Hobson read a very interesting paper under the above 

 title, the Vice-President (Mr. Robert Patterson) being in the 

 chair. 



The lecturer divided her subject into two distinct parts, 

 dealing with the ancient Deneholes first, and after mentioning 

 the probable derivation of the word from Anglo-Saxon, "denne" 

 a cave, said that the highest authority had stated that it was 

 "dane" hole, and in the name lurked a tradition that these 

 structures had been hiding places from the Danes. The con- 

 struction of a dene-hole was a deep circular shaft sunk vertic- 

 ally for 60 or 80 feet, and about 3 feet diam.eter, with foot- 

 holes cut in the sides of the shaft for ascent and descent, and at 

 the foot branching out into a cluster of usually six chambers, 

 with, in some cases, a height of eighteen to twenty feet. Three 

 groups of Deneholes were dealt with, one at Hangman's Wood, 

 Grays, Essex, of 56 shafts, 15 of which had been explored, and 

 twO' groups at Bexley, Kent, 600 yards distance between the 

 one at Stankey Wood, consisting of 60 shafts, very close to- 

 gether, and the other at Cavey Spring. 



The various "finds" were touched upon, bones of various 

 animals, man, flint implements, Samian ware, ancient British 

 pottery, Roman pottery, &c. 



A great difference of opinion exists as to the uses of these 

 ancient structures, and three different theories are current. 

 The granary theory (that they were storehouses for grain, as was 

 certainly the case in many continental deneholes), the chalk- 



